12 effective sales email templates (+ writing tips)

Sending emails is a fundamental daily outreach activity for most sales reps. But did you know that only 9% of sales emails are ever opened? That’s unsurprising when you consider the flood of generic emails your prospects receive every day – not all of them are going to make the cut.

But tapping into the revenue potential of well-constructed email outreach is well worth the effort – the average return on sales emails is a whopping $38 for every dollar invested. So, how do you ensure your emails stand out from the crowd and make an impact?

Use sales email templates.

Sales email templates might not sound like a great way to stand out. After all, the concept of a template is inherently generic. But when used correctly, templates give your sales team a foundation upon which to build more personalised content. Much like a power dialer gives your reps an advantage on the phone, sales email templates give them an advantage in their leads’ inboxes.

To help with your outreach efforts, we’ve created a sales email template for every sales stage, from prospecting to closing. All templates include eye-catching subject lines, interesting and engaging copy, and opportunities for personalisation so you can attract and retain more customers. In this piece, we’ll showcase 12 of our favourite templates from The motherlode of sales email templates (download the ebook to find even more). We’ll also share our favourite tips and tricks to make your sales emails work for you.

General sales email tips

Many of the best practices that apply to cold calling scripts and sales scripts also apply to sales emails. Interactions with leads – whether over a sales call or email – are more successful when communication is personalised, clear and customer-oriented. High sales engagement always occurs when reps use specific opening lines, tailor their sales pitch to their audience, reference a reliable sell sheet and include a compelling call to action (CTA).

For more tips, check out our guide on how to write sales emails. In the meantime, we’re here to explain the most important best practice when using sales email templates: customisation.

Customising sales email templates

Customisation and personalisation are essential to every step of your sales process, but they’re especially important during initial outreach.

Customers aren’t naive. They know there’s no way you have time to handcraft every single email you send. But that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t sound like you tried. Even something as small as adding a name and a company to a cold email can skyrocket its success.

How do you know if your customisations are coming across? Monitor how they perform.

Use a sales CRM to automatically send and track email responses through an integration such as Mailchimp. Then, use marketing automation integrations to perform A/B testing and see which subject lines have the highest open rate. You can use a sales engagement platform to determine when your emails are opened and how often prospects interact with them.

When you know what works and what doesn’t, you can hone your process to increase your rate of success.

Sales email template examples

The following templates are organised according to the sales pipeline stage they cover.

• Getting a prospect’s attention
• Proving your product’s worth
• Discussing pricing
• Closing the deal with persuasive language
• Continuing customer relationships via email

We’ve used a fictional company name for each email – Better Bookkeeping Software – but you can adapt the templates to suit your business and the contact you’re trying to convert.

Getting a prospect’s attention

Prospecting emails are your first shot at making a good impression on a potential customer. Send emails that interest the reader at first glance – keep the subject line catchy. Write it as a question or include the prospect’s first name to make it personal and inviting. Sales prospecting is already difficult, so don’t make it harder by using generic copy.

Cold email template

Subject line: Available for a chat?

When to use it: Use this cold outreach sales email template when you receive email addresses through gated content, marketing, etc. You can also use it to follow up with leads that expressed interest in your company. Indicate that you’ve done your homework and that you know what the company’s needs are – bonus points if you include a link at the end that proves your worth (for example, “Better Bookkeeping improves XX Company’s efficiency with revolutionary software”).

Why it’s effective: Quickly getting back to someone who’s shown interest in your product demonstrates that you’re paying attention and that you want to help them. Fast, succinct cold email outreach helps to establish a point of contact while introducing solutions to a prospect’s problems, too. This template is also a great way to back up a discovery call if the prospect doesn’t answer.

Introductory email template

Subject line: Free trial of bookkeeping software

When to use it: Use this template when you notice prospects asking questions that pertain to your product or service on sites such as Quora and LinkedIn. This template is especially ideal if your company offers a free trial of your product or service. It allows the prospect to try your product or service with no strings attached, which is a hard bargain to pass up. No free trial? Ask the prospect if you can schedule a demo instead.

Why it’s effective: Framing an introduction through the lens of a solution tells your prospect that you’re ready to listen and help. Not only did you notice their comment online, but you also thought about their pain point and reached out with a way to eliminate it. If they’re in the market for your product, this is a good way to get the right person into your sales pipeline.

Warm email template

Subject line: Nice meeting you, [Prospect Name]

When to use it: Send a warm email when you’ve already interacted with the prospect, whether it was at an event or on social media. You should send this email as quickly as possible so your interaction is still fresh in their mind. If you received their contact info via a referral or mutual connection, adjust the first sentence as needed and the subject line to read something like “[Referral] suggested I contact you”.

Why it’s effective: The majority of casual business interactions never lead to a follow-up note. A prompt outreach email goes a long way toward reminding your prospect that you exist and letting your prospect know that you didn’t forget about them and their needs. It also gives them a way to reach out to you if they’re interested in pursuing a conversation.

Prospect follow-up email template

Subject line: X blog posts about [pain point]

When to use it: Use this template when you haven’t received a response to your previous email. Provide related resources or answers to common industry questions so you can build rapport with the prospect and show them that you’re trying to help.

Why it’s effective: There are numerous reasons why a prospect might not respond to initial outreach, many of which are out of your control. That said, you should always try another tactic. Given that 60% of prospects say no four times before committing, there’s no harm in trying again. It’s also possible that your prospect missed your first email, in which case a low-pressure, high-value second attempt is the key to starting the conversation.

Proving your product’s worth

Now that the potential customer is interested in your product or service and they’ve been properly qualified, it’s time to prove that your offering is right for them. Send emails that establish your company’s credibility.

Social proof email template

Subject line: Want to save X% in efficiency costs?

When to use it: Once you connect with a prospect, illustrate the effectiveness of your product or service through videos, testimonials, case studies, blog links, etc. Work with marketing on these materials and weave interesting narratives. If you don’t have case studies or success stories, source raw data from departments like product success. For example, does your bookkeeping software increase the time to payment?

Why it’s effective: If you had a positive first interaction with a prospect, you don’t want to let them get away. Reaching out with useful resources gives you another communication touchpoint while giving your prospect genuine reasons to buy. These materials also provide your prospect with a reference point when they’re comparing you to other companies.

Discussing pricing

Discussing terms and prices can often feel like one of the more delicate stages in your sales process. From past interactions, the prospect should already have an idea of what your product or service is going to cost. Now it’s time to cover specific offerings based on their needs; perhaps you can give them a special discount or bonus. Ideally, these conversations should happen over the phone or in person, but it’s good to have your offer in writing as well.

Proposal email template

Subject line: Better Bookkeeping features + proposal

When to use it: Send this email after the prospect has expressed serious interest in your product or service and you’ve already casually discussed terms. Ask the potential customer if you can clarify anything or if they have questions. Emphasise the benefits of your product or service and the value the prospect would receive for the price.

Why it’s effective: Summarising an interaction with a prospect in a sales follow-up email is always a good idea – summarising a pricing conversation is a must. Getting numbers down in writing gives you a launch point for the next interaction and gives your prospect a clear breakdown to bring to other decision makers involved in the sale. Clarity shows your prospect that you’re taking the partnership seriously. This email is also a great place to include your sales letter or written product pitch.

Closing the deal with persuasive language

You’re done presenting all the information and answering the prospects’ questions. They’re close to making a purchase decision – they’ll either choose your product/service or go with a competitor. Now’s the moment to send them an email offer they can’t refuse.

Closing sales email template 1

Subject line: Ready to improve [pain point]?

When to use it: Your email message should focus on the benefits that your product or service will bring to this specific customer. It needs to be short and personal, and it must summarise the information you’ve already shared. Your CTA is also important here – let the prospect know exactly what needs to happen next. Leave the ball in their court.

Why it’s effective: The logistics of closing a sale can get incredibly complicated, especially with high-level B2B deals. Between pricing, scheduling and getting everyone on board, it’s easy for your prospect to lose sight of why they were considering your product in the first place. Reminding prospects that this product is a solution to a major headache is an ideal way to focus and accelerate the closing process.

Closing sales email template 2

Subject line: [Prospect Name], following up

When to use it: Use this sales email template if you haven’t received a response to your previous email. The prospect is either getting cold feet or they simply forgot to follow up. Sending a gentle reminder that you’re still there for them is sometimes all you need to do to elicit a reply.

Why it’s effective: Your prospects have a lot going on. In between interactions with you, your potential customers have numerous activities of their own to take care of, including other purchase negotiations. This type of email allows you to stay on their radar without appearing pushy.

Continuing customer relationships via email

Even if you win the deal, don’t stop sending emails. Customer engagement emails are crucial to customer retention and upsell opportunities. Work closely with marketing to align your email messages and ensure you’re not overwhelming your customers with repetitive information.

Welcome email template

Subject line: Welcome to Better Bookkeeping Software

When to use it: Send this email after you close the sale. Tell the customer you’re thrilled that they purchased the product or service. And use this opportunity to offer your support and convey to the customer that you’re not just handing them off to someone else.

Why it’s effective: No matter how confident a prospect feels when they make a purchase, it’s a completely different game when they have the product in their hands. Especially if your company doesn’t have a built-in onboarding system, reaching out post-purchase shows your new customer that you’re still invested in their success. This creates trust and increases the likelihood of future purchases.

Resource email template

Subject line: X blog posts to assist with [customer problem]

When to use it: You can send this type of email periodically to show the customer you’re still invested in their success. Offer content that helps customers use your product or service to its full potential (ask marketing for materials, if needed). You can use your CRM to follow customers’ interactions with the support team if you need ideas for content.

Why it’s effective: Anticipating customer needs isn’t just a successful tactic during the initial sale. Customer loyalty also depends on consistent, high-quality service. By reaching out to a client before they start complaining, you not only prevent the problem early, but you also prove to the customer that you take their satisfaction seriously.

Reconnect email templates

Subject line: Can I help with [pain point]?

When to use them: You lost the deal. Maybe the prospect decided they didn’t need your service, their budget was too low or they went with a competitor. Regardless of the reason, don’t be discouraged. Stay in touch with the prospect by following them on social media and send another email at a later date (for instance, if they went with a competitor, check back when their subscription is almost up). The prospect already knows who you are – keep your relationship on a good note.

Why they’re effective: Not every lost sale is a loss forever. Some prospects will never return, but many may still be on the hunt for the perfect solution to their problems. By reaching out with a solution to a specific pain point, you’ll demonstrate that you haven’t forgotten about the prospect or their challenges.

Improve your sales emails with flexible templates that work

To avoid being a Generic Jane (or Jerry) with sales emails, customise each template before sending. No matter what sales stage you’re in, ensure your emails to potential and current customers are personal and valuable. Stay away from industry jargon, too. Emails should be as customer-centric as possible and prove that you care about the customer relationship.

Download The motherlode of sales email templates to gain more insight into:

Prospecting emails

• Cold email templates
• Warm email templates

Follow-up emails

• No-response templates
• Trigger-event templates
• Post-call templates
• Post-pricing quote templates
• Stalled conversation templates
• After sales templates
• Reconnecting templates

Download our free ebook on sales email templates and start engaging your prospects with irresistible emails.